Hey - Isn't This My Chair ?

As a family we tend to pass possessions between us. My old recliner belonged firstly to my late ex Father in Law and we inherited it after his death. When my Son got his first house the recliner went with him before coming back to me when he got married and moved house. When my son first got Buster as a bewildered, beaten, half starved, 10 month old pup, who had already had 3 owners, he had attachment issues and wanted to be with people all of the time. This chair was in my son's bedroom and the pup claimed it as his bed as he would not stay downstairs on his own.. Ten years later he came into my front room today and saw the chair minus it's usual covers and cushions that had previously disguised it. It took him about ten minutes of sniffing it before he curled up on it and promptly went to sleep. As Buster is here with me for a week I am hoping that no-one does want the chair this week as he is so happy to have his old bed back. Animals never forget. If I could take him for a walk he would go exactly the same route as we used to walk and stop at the same spots for me to throw a ball or a stick. It's like he has never been away. He just falls right back into the same routine.
My neighbours would walk him for me but because of his insecurities he won't let a member of the family out of his sight and go with them. He will have to make do with some ball throwing in the back garden for exercise. The dogs from next door will probably come through the hedge to play with him over the weekend.

I have finished off the little knitted cardigan for the foster baby boy. .It took me most of today to sew in all of the tails. I always forget that bit when I start knitting the cardigan. It's worse than making stripes and granny squares. It is a good way of using up oddments of wool though. I have had the pattern for years and I doubt that it is available. It is Robin 15278. I have made this pattern many times and it works just as well using darker colours. I made one for a friend's baby in dark red, dark blue, aubergine ,black, maroon .and gold. She said every time he wore it people stopped to ask where she bad bought it.

I am still hoping that now I have returned to my knitting that I might finish off the hooded jackets. I have really gone off the colour and I think that is half the problem.The wool that I have ordered for my fine crochet probably won't come until next week and even then I won't start it right away as I don't want it covered in Buster hair.Anything dark or with wool attracts Buster's hair like a magnet. I will make something else smaller if I can't bring my self to knit the hooded jackets.

Buster has now gone to sleep right in the middle of all of the left over balls of wool from the baby cardigan. Cheers Buster! I just hope that he doesn't tangle them all up. It's almost time for his dinner so the sound of his food hitting his dish will wake him up and then I can move the balls of wool from the sofa.

Not much knitting done today - phonecalls got in the way

Too many phone calls today. I don't mean the nice phone calls from friends which I am always glad to receive I mean the try to sort out what went wrong phone calls.

The postman brought me my bank statements this morning. They had also sent me one for an almost dormant savings account as they do from time to time and to my horror I discovered direct debits coming out of it to some insurance company. I rang the bank and they gave me the phone number for the company taking out the money. I rang them to be informed that my name was Mark blah de blah I was 23 yrs old and it was my car insurance and I must live at 55 blah de blah. I assured them that I was a female of advancing years who didn't own a car any more, who didn't know Mark, and was at the opposite end of the country from 55 blah de blah. Ah but he has given us this bank account number with Lloyds bank. I said well there is one mistake right away as I don't bank with Lloyds bank. You have the right account number but the wrong bank. They refused to stop the direct debit and refund my money and told me to get in touch with my bank.

I did so and I must say that the bank were immediately helpful especially since I was able to give them so much information about Mark. They stopped the direct debit and applied for my money to be refunded immediately which leaves poor Mark driving around now without his insurance. It's scary isn't it that they can take money from an account that has the same number but a different bank and a different name.You would think that alarm bells would have rung long before I had paid Mark's insurance for 2 months. I am just glad that the bank chose to send my statement today and not wait for a few months as they usually do with this account.

My brother called this afternoon and brought me a bottle of wine that was from my niece's wedding. Apparently they had some bottles left undrunk that they had ordered for the wedding meal so my niece wanted them distributing amongst the family.That was really nice of her to think of me.

I have made a name band for Woolfest in case anyone is in doubt that it is me. I have also made some initials that may get sewn onto my knitting bag for good measure. As I am not by nature a shy shrinking violet I don't mind wandering around looking like a right plonker. I am an individual, very chatty, larger than life blonde so why not celebrate the fact and announce my presence to the world ( well Woolfest's small world)?

Thanks to everyone for the lovely comments about the Drops circles jacket. It is a very easy project to crochet so anyone dithering, as I did for ages, whether to make one I would say if you like it then go ahead and make it. It is very easy pattern to make (is free online) and to size no matter what wool thickness you use as you just keep trying it on to make sure that the armholes are in the right place and the circle is large enough at the end.Mine is a bit on the smaller side for me if I am honest but I know of old that James C Brett's Marble yarn gives a lot in wear especially in such a lacy pattern so no doubt it will be a lot looser by the end of a day's wear.

The baby cardigan is stitched together now so I just have the front and neck bands to knit. Hopefully a photo tomorrow.

Tomorrow I have to do some shopping and collect a mystery package from the post office that apparently they tried to deliver this morning with postage to pay on it. The postman must have knocked on the door with a wet sponge, as my dad used to say, as I was in and never heard a thing despite not having the TV or Radio on.

Using two pointy sticks

Slow progress from now on folks. I am wielding two pointy sticks for the first time in ages. Knitting is no longer my first love. It hasn't been for quite a while now. I do it from time to time just to prove that I haven't forgotten how to.

I am making a couple of baby cardigans for a friend of Sylvia. Well not quite baby size more 20-22" size. I am making the pattern on the bottom left with the frilled edge for one of them but will probably change pattern for the second one even though they are for two little girls.

A quiet day today so far. I am resting my knee. There are a million things that I should be doing like housework but I can find a million reasons not to do stuff like that. It doesn't take much to distract me from housework these days ;)

I will attempt to stick with the knitting tonight but I have the distinct feeling that the crochet hook will distract me later. Wool, hook and pattern are calling to me like a siren call.